WBA title added to Khan vs Garcia

Posted on Jun 28, 2012

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer has revealed that the WBA light-welterweight belt has been added to Amir Khan and Danny Garcia’s clash on July 14 after Lamont Peterson was stripped of the title.

The move means Khan vs Garcia will become a unification clash as the vacant WBA belt will be on the line when the Bolton man challenges WBC titleholder Garcia at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Peterson has been stripped of the WBA light-welterweight title he won from Khan as a result of his failed pre-fight drug test in the lead up to their May 19 rematch.

Schaefer said Golden Boy Promotions sent letters to the WBA and IBF requesting that the sanctioning organizations ‘rule the fight a no-contest’, and, asking ‘the IBF and the WBA to re-instate Amir Khan as their champion.’

‘I've gotten verbal confirmation that the WBA is going to have Amir fight for the WBA title, so that's that,’ Schaefer told RingTV.com. ‘As it relates to the WBC, we already know that the fight is also going to be for the WBC title, so their fight will definitely be for two belts.’

The IBF is still to make a decision on whether to strip Peterson of their belt and have indicated they will not do so until after IBF President Daryl Peoples and an organization-appointed physician can examine his medical records.